Relation of teachers' educational background to their teaching practices across contexts and child literacy outcomes

Hope K Gerde, Purdue University

Abstract

Study 1, an observational study of 32 Head Start teachers and children (146 boys, 152 girls) enrolled in their classrooms, found the quality of teachers’ book-reading practices to predict growth in children’s receptive vocabulary and letter knowledge. Multilevel growth analyses indicated that children in classrooms where teachers used more high quality utterances made greater gains in receptive vocabulary (PPVT-III) across the fall semester of the preschool year. Also, teachers’ identification of letters was related to children’s growth in letter knowledge from fall to winter. Further, teachers’ book reading practices from fall to winter predicted children’s growth in language and literacy development from winter to spring. Teachers with more years of formal education and professional training in early childhood used more high quality utterances and identified more letters during book reading. Study 2, an observational study of 30 preschool teachers identified a moderate relation between teachers’ verbal behaviors during book reading and free play, although overall quality of teachers’ utterances were higher in the context of book reading. Teachers’ educational background predicted the quality of teachers’ talk during book reading but not during free play.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Powell, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Early childhood education|Teacher education|Developmental psychology

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